Thicker Than Water
by Lily Faretra
Summary: A visitor from Spike's past causes trouble for the recently resurrected Slayer
1. Arrivals

THICKER THAN WATER this fic takes place after Bargaining part 2 and before Once More, With Feeling.

Disclaimer: all characters are property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy; with the exception of Annabelle, who is my own invention.

This is my first fic, so reviews are eagerly awaited!!

  


Chapter One-   
Watching her fight, he thought to himself that maybe things hadn't changed that much after all. She was still blonde, beautiful, and capable of killing with a swift precision that he was almost envious of.  
"And I'm still lurking in the sodding shadows," he muttered, taking a long drag of his cigarette.  
Buffy delivered another powerful kick to her opponent's face; before driving a stake through his heart. The vampire exploded into a cloud of grey dust without a sound.  
A brave one, Spike noted as he ground the cigarette into the floor with his heel, but far too weak and foolish to have tangled with the recently-resurrected Slayer.  
He stepped forward, ready to make an unnecessarily biting comment- any excuse to be near her, to hear her voice speak his name, even in anger and contempt.  
She didn't love him, he knew that; maybe she never would, but even words of hate couldn't lessen Spike's infatuation with the Slayer. Things had changed lately. Since her return, Buffy had been gentler towards him. They could almost be described as friends sometimes. And that would just have to be enough for Spike for the time being.  
  
Buffy had visibly relaxed, turned to leave the darkened alleyway and head home to Dawn, patrol over.  
"Summers...." Spike called out, but as Buffy spun around to answer she was knocked to the floor by the sudden appearance of a flame-haired vampiress, leaping from nowhere with amazing speed.  
Spike froze where he stood."Interesting," he mused, as Buffy fell to the floor.  
  
"Oooomph!" The Slayer exhaled loudly as her back thudded down onto the concrete. Recovering quickly, she glanced up into the contorted features of the vamp. "This is getting so old!" she muttered. "I kill your friends, you try to kill me...you lose!!!"  
She tugged on the forearms of the redhead and flipped her over her head, springing back to her feet before the Lady Lestat had landed. And waited, muscles tensed.  
Where the hell had the girl gone? A blow to the back of the head brought Buffy back down to the floor.  
The vampiress stood above her, unruffled, a brick in her delicate white hand.  
"So," she said- and Buffy noted that her accent was English, refined, like Giles'- "you're the famous Buffy."  
"And you're really stupid," retorted Buffy cheerfully, swinging her legs up to lock around the girl's neck, "'Cos I'm gonna kill you in about- uh- now!"  
She twisted, flinging the vampire clean across the alley, and stood up slowly. This time she saw the girl land, a flash of red hair and a gnash of sharp fangs- and then she was gone again.  
The girl was unnaturally fast, even for the undead. Buffy froze, eyes darting around the alley. She breathed deeply. She had been trained to fight and win- even blindfolded. 'This shouldn't be a problem,' she told herself.  
A slight sound gave the next attempted attack away; Buffy leaped into the air as the vamp rushed at her from behind a garbage can, and as she landed she kicked the girl in the stomach, sending her slamming back into the wall of the alley. Spike had had enough of being a casual observer- this vamp was slippery, surely Buffy could do with his help?  
He shot out of the murky depths of the shadows, a blur of black and bleached- blonde, and pinned the redhead to the wall by he throat. Fangs bared and face distorted, he tightened his grip. Buffy threw a stake to him, he caught it deftly in his left hand, brought his arm forward...  
"William," the vampiress chided gently, just before the wood pierced her flesh, "surely you wouldn't try to kill me?"  
Spike stopped for a second, studied her face. The stake clattered to the floor.  
"Spike!" Buffy yelled, "What are you doing? She'll get away!"  
Spike didn't hear her."Annabelle?" He took a step backwards, shocked. She nodded, smirking triumphantly towards the Slayer. "Hello, William."  
  
Buffy walked over and picked up the stake. "Another one of your skanky exes, Spike?" she sneered, eyeing Annabelle distastefully. "Well, I'm not one for sentimentality. If you won't kill her, I sure as hell will!"  
She raised the stake, prepared to strike.  
Spike caught her wrist. "No you bloody well won't, Slayer," he warned through gritted teeth.  
Annabelle fluttered her eyelashes and draped herself over Spike's leather-clad shoulder, the picture of fanged innocence . "Both of you are going to be civil to each other." Buffy lowered the stake reluctantly.  
Spike looked meaningfully at Annabelle. She retracted her fangs with a dramatic sigh.  
"Ok, Spike, you have your way," Buffy said, "Now give me one good reason why I can't stake this annoyingly perky walking corpse. And it better be good, bleach boy."  
Spike scowled and reached into his pocket for a fresh cigarette. He needed one. Really.  
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer," he mumbled around the cigarette, "meet Annabelle, m..."  
"His sister," the redhead interjected, "So I think you had better learn to be nice to me, don't you?"  
  



	2. Truths

  


Chapter Two-   
Spike sat back and took a swig from the small metallic flask he kept in his pocket, and regarded the girl sitting opposite warily.  
"What are you doing here, Annabelle?"  
Her jade-green eyes widened slightly."It's a Hellmouth, William, what do you think I'm doing 

here?"  
"The real reason, Belle," he snapped. "What do you want from me?"  
"Well," she pouted, "that's not very nice! I come all this way especially to see my only living 

family...."  
"You killed the rest of them," he reminded her sharply.  
She smiled at the memory. "Mmmm, so I did."  
  
Drusilla smiled as she guided the beautiful teenager towards William. "Here, my dark prince, I brought you something."  
He glanced up from the beggar he was feasting on, a smear of blood on his top lip.  
"Annabelle!" he gasped, dropping the man and running over to embrace his little sister.  
Dru clapped her hands together, delighted. "I knew you'd like it!!" she exclaimed, "The pixies in my head said she was special to you. I wrapped her up in pretty paper and fed her to the moon. Did I do right, William?"  
"Yes, Pet," he whispered, kissing her hair, "You did right."  
He noticed that Annabelle had said nothing so far. "She's a little...quiet, my sweet," he said to Drusilla, "The change didn't...affect her in any way, did it?"  
Drusilla giggled. "No, no, " she said, "Belle here just knows how rude it is to speak with her mouth full!"  
He saw that his sister's dress was soaked in blood. "Quite a feast you have had, Belle," he commented dryly. "Anybody I know?"  
  
"I hated Angelus for forbidding me to go with you." Annabelle said, moving closer to Spike. "Family should stick together. I had to be content listening to tales of you killing Slayers and wreaking havoc across continents. And then, finally, I heard from Drusilla that it was all over for the four of you, that you were alone, and on the Hellmouth. That you had fallen in love with your mortal enemy." she scorned.  
"William, she treats you like less than a dog. Yet Drusilla tells me you cannot hurt her. And I arrive in Sunnydale to find that you are helping her to kill our kind!"  
"Gotta get my rocks one way or another," he muttered in reply, "and don't call me William. It's Spike now. Got it?"  
Annabelle nodded. "Fine. Now, about this Slayer...."  
"You will leave her alone!" Spike commanded. "If anyone's going to kill her, it'll be me!"  
"What are you going to do?" Annabelle sneered, "snuggle her to death?"  
"Hey! Just because I'm in love with her, doesn't mean I don't still want her dead!"  


* * *

  
Willow put down the jar of newt's eyes and stared at Buffy incredulously. "Spike has a 

sister?!"  
Giles tutted and cleaned his glasses with a tissue." Most disturbing news. The Chronicles don't mention anything about William the Bloody having family, but if it is true, then she could be dangerous. Why didn't you kill her?"  
He slid a pile of books out of the way and perched on the edge of the table.   
Buffy chewed her bottom lip. "I don't know," she said, quietly.  
"Going soft in the golden years of Slayerdom," quipped Xander."Did she seem like the World Domination type?"  
"Or..or the I Want to Bring About the End of the World type?" offered Willow.  
"How about the I'm Going to Kill Myself a Slayer type?" asked Anya, briefly looking up from her copy of the Financial Times.  
Buffy mused these options for a second.  
"Well, she's certainly fast, but she's not much for actual tactics when it comes to a fight. I don't know. She gave up trying to take me on the minute Spike asked her to. Makes me think we can safely rule out the third option. And I can't see her wanting to take over the world, somehow. She didn't seem all that ambitious."  
"So you think another Apocalypse? Ho-hum!" murmured Willow.  
"No," said Buffy, "It's something else. I don't know what, but I just know....this girl has a reason to be here, and I get the feeling it doesn't involve us."


	3. Distant

  
  


Chapter Three-

Willow and Buffy were alone.

Buffy was distracted. Willow played with her hair absently. She snuck a sideways glance at her friend.

'She's changed so much,' she thought.'She's not the same girl that she was before we brought her back.'

For a moment she almost felt guilty for saving her friend from a Hell dimension.

The she reminded herself that no matter how traumatised and disorientated Buffy was feeling, it had to be better than being trapped in Hell forever.

Buffy had fitted back into life in Sunnydale fairly well, all things considered. She was back into the routine of slaying every night, her fighting technique was, if anything, stronger. But sometimes Willow felt as though part of Buffy was still very far away.

Like now. 

  
  


After the Scooby meeting, they'd gone back to Buffy's house. Dawn had gone up to bed, and since then, all they'd done was sit in silence.

Gone was the friendly chat they'd shared for the six years they'd been friends.

In it's place was a stillness.

Willow couldn't stand it any longer. "I really ought to get going," she said with rigid politeness."Thanks for having me over. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

Buffy didn't reply. She just kept on staring straight ahead.

  
  


She was still sitting like that a while later, and barely noticed the presence beside her.

"Buffy?" the voice was hesitant.

She blinked, looked round. "Spike."

He picked at his already chipped black nail varnish.

"I just came over to say thanks, you know? For not hurting my sister."

"That's ok," she replied, "I know how it feels to have your sister's life in danger."

Spike shuffled closer to her. Something was troubling her."Dawnie's fine, you know," he said reassuringly. "She missed you, but she's fine."

Buffy smiled. "She will be," she said. "I wanted to thank you for taking care of her...we've spent years as enemies, but when it came down to it, you were the only one I could trust to protect her."

Their eyes met, and Spike thought for a moment that maybe now would be when she'd tell him that she loved him. That she knew he wasn't all bad.

But she said nothing. The silence began to bother Spike.

  
  


"Aren't you going to warn me, Slayer?" he joked.

"Hmmm?" she frowned at him. "Warn you?"

"You know," he said, "It doesn't matter if I helped you- if she steps out of line, she's dust, right?"

Buffy stood up. "Spike, I'm really tired. Do you mind.....?"

He shrugged, secretly hurt.

  
  


And left, as quietly as a breeze.


	4. Family

Chapter Four-   
Annabelle giggled. "You watch soap operas?"  
Spike cast her a sideways glance, then shifted his focus back to Passions before replying. "What of it?"  
"Nothing, really. I just find it funny, that's all."  
Spike shifted in his seat. "I happen to like it."  
"Do you remember how things used to be? Before you went to Europe? You'd never have wasted your nights on this mindless drivel then."  
"Telly wasn't bloody invented then, was it?" he growled. "Now be quiet or find somewhere else to stay."

  
  


Annabelle had been staying with Spike for a few days, now, and quite frankly, she was beginning to annoy him. Her constant talking was getting on his nerves, and she made a huge fuss if he left the crypt without her, even when it was just to get bloods in for them both.

  


" I'm bored," she whined. "We used to have fun. All those parties...all those noblemen...."  
"Well, I can't do that anymore, can I?" He pointed the remote at the television and turned up the volume to drown her out.  
Annabelle bristled."Fine. You might not be able to, but I can!"  
She stood up.  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
"I'm hungry. And bored. I'm going out to play."  
"If the Slayer sees you...."  
"Bugger her!" Annabelle scoffed, mocking Spike's slightly more common tones. "But if you're worried about me...you could always come and watch." She grinned wickedly.  
"I will do no such thing. You're nearing 100 years old now, it's time you looked after yourself."  
Annabelle's pretty face crumpled. "I always have, William!" she snapped. "Ever since you went away with your precious friends I've done nothing but!!"  
She turned on her heel and was gone before Spike could reply.  
  
For a while he stood in silence, her words spinning around his head.  
Then he sat back down and changed the channel.  


* * *

  
A gust of wind blew past Buffy and she pulled her jacket tighter around her, blocking the chill for the brief second it lasted.  
It had been a slow night. 'If I headed back now I could eat dinner with Dawn,' thought Buffy. She had been avoiding spending time with her little sister lately. With all of them, where she could. Maybe she should make the effort. Go through the motions of enjoying the "family time."  
"Well, Mr.Pointy, looks like we're both pretty much redundant tonight," she said to herself, patting her pocket.  
She stopped still. Patted it again.  
Her stake was gone!  
A voice behind her made her jump."Looking for something?"  
"Annabelle." Buffy's tone was flat. She really wasn't in the mood.  
"Don't worry, I promised William I'd be a good girl and I will." She tossed her flame-hued hair over her shoulder.  
"Then what are you doing out here?" asked Buffy, suspiciously.  
"Looking for animals. You know, rats and the like." she grimaced."They don't tend to taste too good, but a promise is a promise."  
"So what do you want?"  
"Nothing, Buffy. I can call you Buffy, can't I? So much less formal than "Slayer."I just want us to be friends. For William's sake."  
Buffy nearly choked. "Spike...asked you to make friends with me?"  
Annabelle nodded."Well, in as much as he asked me not to kill you."  
"How...nice,"Buffy replied through gritted teeth."I have to be going, now, so if you really have no intention of fighting me, I'll say goodnight."  
"Ok!" Annabelle chirped, "Goodnight, Buffy!!"  


* * *

  
Spike yawned. The sun would soon be up. Where was Annabelle?  
The door to the crypt creaked open.  
"About bloody t....Annabelle!! What happened?!" He ran over and helped her into the crypt. She was drenched in blood, her hair a tangled mess and tear streaks down her face.  
She shuddered and clutched her ribs. "The....Slayer...."  
She removed her hands. Just inches from her heart, still jutting out of her, was 

Mr.Pointy.


	5. Home

Chapter Five-   
"Hi, Dawnie," Buffy took off her jacket and sat down in the living room.  
Dawn answered from the kitchen. "Buffy! You're back early!"  
"Yeah, well, tonight wasn't exactly slay-heavy so I figured I'd spend some time with you."  
"Oh." Dawn appeared in the doorway.  
"I thought we could get a pizza, rent a movie. Have a real girl's night."  
Dawn looked at the floor, her long dark hair hanging in front of her face, obscuring her expression.  
"Um, actually, I already ate."  
Buffy's face fell. So much for the plan.  
"I mean, I didn't know when you'd be back and...I got hungry so I just....I'm sorry, Buffy."  
Buffy shrugged. "That's ok. Really. I'm not really in the mood for pizza anyway."  
  
Dawn perched on the arm of the sofa. "So." she said, feeling awkward.  
"So." Buffy echoed.  
"All's quiet on the weird-o-meter, then?"  
The Slayer shrugged. "Nothing Apocolypse-y going on at the moment."  
There was silence.   
"So." Buffy offered.  
"So." Dawn nodded, and scuffed her feet on the carpet.  
Buffy stood up. "I'm just going to call the others, ok? Change our girl's night into a Scoobie night."  
Dawn nodded again, pleased with the offer of company.  
She hardly knew how to act with Buffy anymore. "Ok." she said, "That sounds....fun."  
  
It wasn't long before they arrived, Xander clutching a bag of chips in one hand, his other arm around Anya's waist. "Hey, Dawn-meister!" he greeted her cheerfully as she opened the door. "How's school been going?"  
"Dull. You know the drill."  
Anya frowned. "School is very important." she commented in her strange, clipped tones, "You go to school to learn important things. Like how to do accounts." she smiled. "Then you can help me in the Magic Box."  
Dawn smiled falsely. "Best keep doing the whole education thing, then!" she said sarcastically.  
Anya, the true meaning of the words lost on her, patted Dawn on the head. "Yes, you had!!" she enthused.  
"Ok," said Willow, coming in behind them, "We've got Thelma and Louise, Bridges of Madison County or the Lion King."  
She caught Xander's look of disgust.  
"It's late, all the good stuff was gone," she explained.  
"And how," grumbled Xander."Where's Tara tonight?"  
"She couldn't make it. Making merry with the textbooks. Big test tomorrow."  
"Tell her good luck when you see her," said Dawn. She liked Tara. The soft-spoken witch was fairly new to the Scoobies, same as she was. It made them closer.  


Xander hugged Buffy and made himself at home, Anya curled up on his knee like an oversized ex-demon kitten.  
"How was patrolling?" he asked.  
Buffy took the videos from Willow and sifted throught them absently. "No-go." she replied.  
She put the Lion King into the VCR.  
Willow leaned over and took the bag of chips from Xander, opened them and offered them to Dawn.  
"Any word on Spike's sister?" she asked through a mouthful of Doritos.  
Dawn sat up straighter. "Spike has a sister?! When were you going to tell me that?"  
Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry, Dawnie, I forgot."  
"So, what's she like?"  
"Sort of bumpy and fang-laden, the usual."  
A deep voice came from the hallway. "She didn't mean any harm."  
"Spike!!!" Buffy scolded, "Don't you ever knock?!"  
Spike didn't move. His posture was stiff, his fists clenched.  
"Sort of have an open invitation," he said in a flat monotone, "Didn't seem much point."  
"It's nice to see you, too!" Xander mocked. "Been a while, so nice to catch up, now clear off!"  
"She used to be a dancer, you know," Spike continued. "Ballet. She was always twirling about.S'why she's so fast. I always envied her those high leaps and fancy tricks....."  
"The tutus, the tights...." Xander wisecracked.  
Spike took a menacing step forwards, his long black coat billowing behind him as he moved.  
"You know, Harris, for someone with such a low I.Q., you sure talk a lot."  
Xander pushed Anya out of the way, stood up. He was chest to chest with the angry vampire.  
"Listen, Mr. Microchip, if y..."  
"Stop it!" Buffy pushed them apart. "Spike, what are you doing here?"  
Spike turned to face her. Buffy saw that he had blood on his hands, a smear of it dried on his cheek.  
"Got a bone to pick with you, Slayer." he growled. "About Belle."  


* * *

  
Annabelle shifted gently in her chair and winced as the pain shot through her ribs.  
'Never mind,' she thought, 'It'll soon heal.'  
William- Spike, now- she reminded herself, had been so concerned. He'd been a proper little first-aider, managing not to cause her any more discomfort as he dressed the wound.  
Even though his hands had been shaking with anger, his eyes narrowed and his voice gruff as he promised her that he'd sort Buffy out.  
She'd protested, of course. "She's your friend," she'd said, "Please don't fall out with her because of me."  
"She promised she wouldn't lay a finger on you!" he raged.  
"She's the Slayer," Annabelle whispered, "It's her job."  
"And it's my job to look out for you," Spike soothed, "That's what big brothers are for."  
Annabelle smiled at the memory of his last words before he stormed out of the crypt.  
"We're family. From now on we're sticking together. You and me against the world, Belle."  
She repeated the word like a mantra as she waited for him to return.  
"You and me against the world."


	6. Confrontation

Chapter Six-  
"You tried to stake my little sister."  
Xander beamed. "Way to go, Buff!"  
She stared him down. Then turned back to Spike. "I what?"  
"Yeah, that's right," Spike addressed Dawn, who was staring open-mouthed at her sister.  
"I protect you, but it's a whole different ball game when it's my family need protecting!"  
"I never touched her!" Buffy insisted. "I admit I saw her tonight, but I didn't hurt.." she spread her hands wide, "Look! I don't even have my stake!"  
Spike reached into his coat and brought out the stake, it's tip bright red.  
"Yeah, sorry about that," he said, "I guess Belle got a little attached to it."  
"I swear, I didn't touch her," Buffy said, staying calm. "We had a little exchange of pleasantries, like you wanted..."  
"Like I wanted? What are you on about, woman?" Spike was rapidly losing patience. He might love Buffy, and he might be unable to harm her, but if he didn't get some sense out of her soon, he was certainly going to try!!  
"She said you'd asked her to make friends with me."  
"Did not!" Spike denied vehemently. "Told her to stay out of your way was all. And anyway, if you didn't, Slayer, then who put the extra-large pencil through her chest? Huh?"  
Dawn stepped forward. "Spike, if Buffy says she didn't hurt your sister, I believe her."  
"This has nothing to do with you, Little Bit," Spike said, never taking his eyes from Buffy's face.  
She wasn't looking back. She was lost in thought.  
She'd been alone when her stake had gone missing, no-one could've stolen it unless they were really, really fast...."The breeze!" she exclaimed, making everyone jump. "It was Annabelle...."  
She lifted her eyes to meet Spike's. "She stole my stake!" she whispered disbelievingly.  
"Oh, that's it, I'm off!" Spike turned to go. "This is all bollocks. You can't even admit when you're wrong." He threw the stake at her feet. "After all I've done for you, Summers."  
"No!" Buffy shouted after him, "She did! I'm sure!! She took it..."  
Xander coughed. "Er, Buff, don't mean to poke a hole in your theory, but wouldn't that mean that she..."  
"Staked herself." Willow said in wonderment. "But why?"  
Buffy stared at the open door. "I don't know." she said. "That's what I've got to find out."

  
  



	7. Past

Chapter Seven-

She'd been alone for a very long time.

Decades had passed, and it had been just her, alone.

They'd taken from her the only family she had left.

For days all she did was cry, a pretty teenager, newly killed and transformed into a demon, with no-one to guide her. 

Eventually the tears had stopped.

And she was angry.

  
  


Livid, she tore apart anyone who crossed her path, carelessly scattering corpses throughout the village.

The spate of vicious murders shocked the village.

People were too afraid to leave their homes, and Annabelle had to be more sneaky about procuring her food.

Some of the villagers knew her, of course, and had been worrying for a while about the missing children of the sadly murdered family.

When she turned up on their doorsteps, all crocodile tears as she told how William had saved them from the killer only to later abandon her; their hearts melted and they invited her in.

  
  


For weeks she would be part of a family, feeding only a small amount from one person at a time while they slept. 

They would fawn over the poor orphaned girl, feed her the best food they could afford, not knowing that her appetite was for something more sinister.

  
  


She would appear normal, only arousing a slight suspicion by her reluctance to go out, even during the day. But she had been traumatised, they could understand....it was the crowds, the killer she was afraid of, they were sure.

When she was settled, they would ask her more about William.

"I can't believe he left you, you poor dear!" one woman had crooned, cradling Annabelle like a baby. "You two were inseparable. I'm sure he'll come back for you soon- he wouldn't be without his sister, now, would he?"

  
  


And then the anger would return. Burning her form the inside.

She had to stop them, had to rid her mind of her treacherous brother. They had to die.

  
  


This was how Annabelle survived; until the villagers grew wise to what was happening, then they chased her out.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Departures

"Bloody bint!! I can't believe she had the gall to stand there and lie to my face! She...Is there anything else I can get you, pet?" Spike handed Annabelle a bloodbag. She devoured it quickly, a sight made oddly comical by the stripy straw that Spike had thoughtfully pierced the bag with.  
"No. I'll be fine. Really." She stared sadly into space.  
!Something wrong, love?"   
Annabelle sighed. "I want to go back to England, William."  
"It's Spike," he corrected her automatically, "And you only just got here. I know it hasn't exactly been the best start to your stay, but you have to give the place a chance."  


  
  


"No," she said, the epitome of melancholy as she sprawled weakly in the chair. "I'll be afraid to go outside now, Wil- Spike. I can't stay."  
Spike sat down beside her. "I can't persuade you?"  
"You could come with me?" Annabelle fluttered her lashes, green eyes welling with tears.  
Spike shook his head. "I belong here in Sunnydale, Belle. Much as I hate it, it's home."  
Annabelle took both of his hands in hers. "All those years Angelus kept us apart. Drusilla only changed me into a vampire so that you'd have some family. And now we have the chance to do what you said, Spike. Stick together."  
Spike bowed his head, hair whitened further by the light of a few stumpy candles scattered around the crypt. "It's not that simple," he said.  
Annabelle tightened her grip on his hands and narrowed her eyes.  
"You always said that if the gang broke up, you'd come back for me. But you didn't. I had to find you. You said you'd keep in touch, but you didn't. Dru did it for you. I think you owe me, brother."  
"Is that a threat?" Spike scowled.  
His sister kissed his cheek. "Of course not, Spike. It's just we'd have such a good time. You could start again. Maybe take up your writing again. You always wrote the best poems. You used to read them to me, remember?"  
Spike allowed himself a grim smile. "Yes, I remember."  
"The come with me!" she beseeched, "There's nothing to keep you here."  
She caught the downward cast of his glance and read it correctly. "She tried to kill me." she reminded him. "She's a user and a murderer and a liar."  
Spike thought for a moment. "You're right," he conceded.  
Annabelle clapped her hands in delight.   
"I'll go pack," he said, and began his descent into the tunnels where he kept his most precious belongings.  
Annabelle grinned. "Looks like I win this one, Slayer," she said, to thin air.  
A voice came from the crypt door. It said one word, simple but with a lot of emphasis.  
"Wrong."  



	9. Pain

Chapter Nine  
Buffy strode into the crypt., the first pale light of morning beginning to show in the sky behind her.  
"Why, Buffy," Annabelle said, her voice saccharine sweet, "How nice of you to visit a convalescing vamp. Very public-spirited of you."  
"I know that you staked yourself," Buffy answered coolly. "I'd like to understand why."  
"I'm sorry," the redhead breezed, "I don't have time to chat. I have to pack."  
"Leaving so soon?" Buffy enquired, stepping closer.  
"We both are." replied Annabelle.   
Buffy was taken aback. "Spike's going with you?"  
Annabelle smiled. "Of course. We're family. We have to stick together."  
"Was that why you did it?" Buffy asked, cottoning on. "To make him go with you? The sympathy vote?"  
Annabelle stood up quickly and in one stride was face to face with Buffy.  
"You'r not going to spoil things for me," she hissed, her face contorting, canines elongating. "I've been alone for over a century, and William owes 

me."  
"You've never bothered with him before," Buffy said, "Why the love of big brother

now?"  
"I always loved him!" Annabelle protested, "I didn't come before because I couldn't. Everywhere he was, they were." She spat their names out as thought they tasted nasty. "Angelus, Darla and Drusilla. Always in the way, always saying I wasn't needed. Dru was perfectly content to sire me and then abandon me. First I'm going to get William back, then I'm going to go after them. One by one."  
  
"That," said Buffy, "is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Spike's not going to wait on you hand and foot just because he feels guilty for leaving his little sister. You're a vampire. You're over a hundred years old by a long shot. Grow up!"  
Annabelle nodded. "You're so right, Buffy; I really just- SPIKE HELP!! THE SLAYER!!!"   
She smirked and shot with lightening speed back to her reclining position on the chair, where she cowered in fear. Within seconds Spike was there, standing in between the two

girls.  
"Stay away from us, Slayer," he warned, "We're leaving, we won't be causing you any more trouble. Just let us leave."  
"Spike, I have already told you but I'll say it again: I didn't hurt your sister. She did it 

herself."  
Annabelle gasped in feigned outrage. "You lying bitch!!" she screamed.  
Spike looked between the two of them, frowning. Buffy wasn't usually one for lying, but he couldn't take her word over his sister's.  
He remembered how it had been before Drusilla had saved him from a life of mediocrity.

Annabelle had always been there, always under his feet, like a devoted puppy.

He'd loved her, of course, and sometimes, like when she praised his poetry, he was glad to have her around.

  
  


But other times she had almost scared him with the intensity of her love for him.

She delighted in the fact that he repeatedly failed to impress Cecily, the woman he'd loved, and had often told him that she was all he had; all he'd ever have.

"You're my little sister, Belle," he'd told her, pushing his floppy hair out of his eyes as he scribbled his poetry, "and you know I love you and would do anything for you. But it's different, what I feel for Cecily. You'll understand when you're older."

  
  


He recalled her reaction. She'd burst into tears, ran from him, screaming "You're the one who doesn't understand, William! She can't love you like I do!!"

  
  


Suddenly this particular memory sickened him.

He realised now what he'd been too blind to see all those hundreds of years ago.

And realised too exactly what she'd hoped to gain by coming here- and taking him away with her.

But he had to give her the benefit of the doubt.

  


"Why would I do that??" Annabelle challenged.  
"Desperation," Buffy said, "Loneliness, revenge....lunacy. But you did it, whatever the reason. I don't even know why I care, but- Spike, she's lying to you. "  
Spike looked into her eyes and saw that she was definitely telling the truth.  
He turned to Annabelle, whose eyes were blazing with anger. "Is it true, Belle?" he 

asked.  
"That stupid blonde bi-" she began, but Spike interrupted her.  
"Is- it- true?" he repeated slowly.  
She didn't answer, which was answer enough.  
"The trip's off," he snarled. "I'm staying in Sunnydale."  
Annabelle stood up and faced him, tearfully.  
"You never cared enough to stay with me," she said.   
Spike thought about the past days. Her sudden appearance wreaking havoc in his life; her lies, her trying to drive a wedge between him and Buffy.

  
  


He thought about how easy it had been to leave her alone in England while he went off around Europe, despite how much as a human he'd loved her, and despite how much fun they'd had for her first few weeks as a vampire.  
"You don't care about me at all!" she yelled, tears streaming down her misshapen face.  
Spike took a breath. "You know what?" he said, lighting a cigarette, "I think you could be right."

"I don't want to be on my own!!!" she sobbed.

He laughed coldly. "In the end, Pet, that's all any of us ever are."  
He turned his back on her as with an anguished scream, she ran out of the crypt into the sunlight and turned to ash.


End file.
